The invention relates to a process for covering an annular support of a heart valve prosthesis with a textile covering, and to an apparatus for carrying out the process.
The known prostheses used in cardiac surgery contain a crown-shaped annular element of plastic, but generally of metal or of both materials. They consist in general of long, often wire-like elements which are predominantly not very elastic and are often joined by soldering or welding. This results in poor adaptability, especially since the joints then become brittle, but in some cases also relatively poor tolerance, not least because the textile covering generally applied to the annular element then requires several seams in order to hold securely on the wire skeleton of the annular element. This results in strength problems and, also can make manufacture more difficult. Typical heart valve prostheses of this type are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,014 or U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,823.